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Tag: James S A Corey

Sustainable protein–in SPACE!

Sustainable protein–in SPACE!

If meat is an unsustainable protein source, what could replace it? I ask the question because, unfortunately, meat production from livestock is an extremely resource-intensive exercise. There literally are not enough resources on Planet Earth to feed everyone in the world a protein-rich, Western-style diet. You don’t have to be vegan to look at the facts and figure that out. One of the most pernicious myths about meat, in my opinion, is the idea that confined animal feeding operations (abbreviated CAFOs) are more efficient and less expensive than…

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Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 4. You say you want a revolution?

Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 4. You say you want a revolution?

My mid-week posts this month have been a series of meditations upon what I think are outmoded science fictional tropes, be they ever so time-hallowed. There are just some times and settings in which I can’t suspend my disbelief of these extrapolations. The series was inspired by my thoughts while reading Leviathan Wakes, by James S. A. Corey. Let’s get this straight, right off the top: I have some issues with it, but it’s still a wonderful space opera, well crafted and thoroughly worth reading. So worthwhile, in…

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Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 3. Worth their weight in diamonds

Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 3. Worth their weight in diamonds

This is the third in a series of posts that question some of the classic tropes in science fiction. This series was inspired by observations made while reading Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey. The book is a really wonderful space opera, first in The Expanse series, which later inspired the creation of the SyFy Channel show, The Expanse, in its third season as I write this. But it does seem to accept unexamined some of science fiction’s time-honored (and, in my mind, outmoded) tropes. In particular, my comments…

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Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 2. Oh, the humanity!

Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 2. Oh, the humanity!

This is the second post in a series that questions some basic assumptions that underly several classic science fiction tropes. To start from the beginning of this discussion, go back to last Wednesday’s post. Last week I took serious issue with the way the people running Ceres Station were doing their job in the must-read space opera Leviathan Wakes, by James S. A. Corey. Apart from the abysmal law enforcement practices I discussed last time, I made a list of other outstanding reasons NOT to live on Ceres: Human life is…

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Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 1. putting my foot in it

Challenging assumptions in science fiction: 1. putting my foot in it

I’m probably going to get myself in trouble, writing this series. Actually, I first began thinking subversive thoughts about the canon assumptions of sf decades ago. But I wrote the basis-document for this series of posts last summer, while reading Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (the pen name of co-authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). It’s the first novel in The Expanse series, which is the basis for the SyFy series of the same name. First of all, let me say I enjoyed the book, and I do recommend it, although if I…

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